Buffy The Vampire Slayer: War with the Gods
by Just Jamie
Summary: A sequel to my first Buffy story Bad Tidings. Things are getting worse for Buffy and co. Let me know what you think of it.
1. Chapter 1

Buffy, The vampire slayer: War with the Gods.

The Light.

The kingdoms of Heaven were in turmoil. On the mortal plain, their champions had turned on them. They had slain the messengers of the Divine Powers. This could not be countenanced; there would be holy vengeance for this act of outrageous effrontery.

The armies of the Light were gathering. The Cherubim, the Seraphim, the Angels, Archangels, Saints and the humble, lowly, denizens of the heavenly realms. They gathered, together for the first, and potentially, the last time. There was a great sense of foreboding around the realm. Something was happening. Everyone knew, but nobody knew what, except for those far higher up in the echelons of power.

A figure came to the front of the crowd that had gathered. "I speak for the Powers that be." A hush fell upon the thronging mass of figures. "We stand, on the precipice, the end of days is nigh. Soon our forces shall descend and cleanse all of the mortal worlds with the righteous fire of the Light." A cheer rose from the crowd, "soon, the Light, will burn brightly everywhere, no darkness shall remain. Perfection shall dawn upon all of creation." Another cheer swelled within the crowd and rolled forward to the smiling figure at the front of the crowd.

Somewhere to the rear of the throng, a small group looked furtive, purely because they were trying too hard not to be noticed. "Ah ain't good at stealth y'know? I've always been a thunderclap kinda girl. You could always tell where I've been, even where I was going most of the time." There was more than a hint of panic in the speaker's voice. She was trying to whisper, whilst shouting to be heard over the continuing cheers. One of her companions held out there hand for her to hold on to. "Yeah, right, best not to get separated here, ah'd never find y'all again." Her companion waved his hand as though to hush her. The main speaker had begun speaking again.

"Sadly, our champions in the mortal realm have fallen to the darkness. They have turned their backs on the Light, and even killed the two conduits sent to prepare them for the coming glory." He paused, knowing that his words would cause shock and fear, "but we will take them under our wings. They have been led astray by darkness, they shall all see the light!"

"Ah really can't see Angel and the others, turning away from the light…?" She didn't sound particularly sure of that though, her voice gave it away, "despite him being a vampire and all, he always seemed to be such a fan of the light and such, and yeah, I know I'm rambling here, but it's like, the first time I've been drafted in to a holy war type scenario." 

"It's a first for anyone, alive, or dead." The woman's companion whispered. But I too am having a hard time believing Angel has turned evil, again! There's more to this than we're being told, and I'm determined to find out what." Wesley Whyndam Price, stopped and Winifred Birkel, Fred to her friends, almost fell over as she bounced into him. "The last time I was told by a third party that Angel was evil, I cost him his son. I won't be fooled twice." 

The speaker was coughing, trying, with a degree of subtlety, to get the attention of the mass of people. As the crowed grew quiet again, he spoke once more. "This is a righteous war. The war that all of creation has been waiting for. We will fight for the glory of the Kingdom of the Lord."

A rousing reply of "Halleluiahs" and cries of "Praise the Lord" rose from the assembled crowd. 

"Now, I can't help respecting the man for what he stood for and what he did, but right now, I'd gladly slap him down." The third of the figures finally pulled back the hood of his robe. 

"Gunn! Now you hush up. That's President Lincoln up there. Or to be more precise, ex president Lincoln. But he's still a good man." Fred chided her one time lover, and closest friend. 

"He's trash talkin' about Angel 's all I meant. Man shouldn't do that."

"Hush now Gunn. I think our contact is here." A robed and hooded figure approached Wesley.

"You've come. Thank you for trusting me. Come with me, we haven't much time."

"Just who are you girl?" Gunn asked as the figure began to turn away.

"I'm a friend of Buffy's. Well, more a friend of Willow's but you know, I know Buffy by default. You can call me Tara."

The Dark place. 

"In the news today, world leaders are meeting today in crisis talks about the sudden upsurge in religious hate crimes around the world. The latest of which, took the entire world by surprise. The sudden revolution in Tibet, spurred on by the call of the Dalai Lama, of all people, for the people of that nation to rise up and take arms against the Chinese oppression in their country."

"In related news, the Vatican has made the shocking declaration of war on Israel. The Pontiff has, and this is a direct quote from the press release, he has 'had enough of the Israeli's blaming the Catholic church for the Jew's own inadequacies during the second world war." 

"Israeli Premier Ariel Sharon, who is in New York for the crisis talks had this to say."

"If the Christian scum wishes war, then the nation state of Israel will show them who it is that is inadequate in the eyes of God."

"We will of course continue to bring you the news as it breaks. This is Trish Tilby reporting for CNN."

"Holy crap Buffy. How the hell are we supposed to stop this one? We're killing each other here."

"Yeah Xander, I was standing right here watching the news with you, and I honestly don't know what we're going to do." Buffy could see the fear in her friends eye. This was too big. How was she going to fight this thing, when there was no 'thing' to fight."

"Buffy?" Willows voice echoed down what was left of the hallway.

"In the lounge Will." Buffy replied. 

"I've got something. Something big. They don't know everything." Willow had bounced into the room, Cordelia walking behind her. "You see what I've got here?"

"Yeah Will. It's the Axe, the weapon of the Slayer."

"Yeah! Now Cordy, what do you see me holding in my hands?"

"This joke was old the second time you tried it on me Willow, you're not holding anything. Did you use your telepathic juju to get Buffy to play along? That's so not fair."

"Cordy? You can't see the Axe?" Buffy asked, hope mingled with fear, but fear still had the upper hand in her mind.

"I can't see any axe. OK?"

"What does this mean Willow? Do the Powers not know about the axe?"

"That's the theory I'm running with, and if they don't know about the axe, then what else don't they know about? What else can't they see?"

"I want everyone in full research mode. I want to know about any mystical weapons, rumours of weapons, magical spells, holy hand grenades, I'll take anything right now. This could be it Willow. We could have found ourselves a weapon.


	2. Chapter 2

Buffy: War with the Gods

Part 2

The Mortal plane.

"It's a little fork thingie."

"Uhm, yeah, its the trident of Moloch the unmentionable."

"Like, how can he be unmentionable if you just mentioned him?"

"He just is Cordelia, now can we get back to this? We do have an apocalypse to stop you know."

"Yeah, yeah. Another apocalypse, that's all we ever seem to do" Cordelia rolled her eyes as Willow turned the pages of the ancient tome, scanning for weapons that could be of use in the upcoming fight with The Powers That Be.

"How are you doing in here?" Buffy entered from what was left of the hallway. The library had fortunately escaped relatively unscathed in the explosion and chaos of the last couple of days.

"Well, " Willow said looking up from the book, "we have two leads at the moment, Faith and Robin have gone out to try and claim the flame of Kermos, and Spike and Angel have gone to get the spear of Alessandra. Cordy couldn't see either of them when we looked at their pages in the codex, so if our theory is correct, then the Powers don't know they exist, and therefore shouldn't be prepared for them, when the fighting starts." Willow looked pleased. Her smile faded slightly when she looked at Buffy's face though. "What's wrong Buff?"

"Three of the girls have gone home. They're worried about their families, it's happening everywhere now Will. Holy wars are tearing the planet apart. The Dalai Lama has been arrested for firebombing the Chinese emabassy in London. The Vatican army has carried out a religious military coup in Italy. The entire country is under Papal law. We even got a call from our 'Scottish operative' seems some soccer fans have, how did she put it? Thrown the dummy? and started killing each other again, but this time the police are taking sides. She wanted permission to start cracking skulls. I told her OK, just no killing. This thing is bigger than us. We need help."

"Your wish is as ever, my command, my little flower." The voice from behind her startled Buffy, she spun, fist clenched and ready for battle, a well manicured hand caught her fist in mid swing. Once she saw who she was trying to punch, she stopped, and felt her hand placed gently back at her side.

"Karazon, thank you for coming." Buffy smiled and hugged the newcomer. "Will, Cordelia, I'd like to introduce you to, The Eternal. Or Karazon to his friends."

"OK, I've wondered this before about you, but been too polite to ask, what is it with you Summers and your fixation with guys who want to eat you as a post coitus snack?" Cordelia looked genuinely interested in the answer and hung over the arm of the chair awaiting Buffy's reaction.

Buffy just turned away from her and walked out of the room, but never one to miss a parting shot, she added, "This from the woman who tried to get her mitts on my leftovers?" Buffy walked off with the Immortal in tow.

Shock and indignation crossed Cordelia's face, "That's it. I'm out of here. You can find your weapons for the apocalypse on your own Willow. That was the last straw." Cordelia stood up and stalked from the library and literally tripped over Dawn. "Ow. Willow, that wasn't funny."

"Excuse you much." Dawn practically shouted at Cordelia.

Willow ran from the Library, "Dawnie, are you OK?"

"Who're you calling Dawnie? Is that like some kind of lesbian slang?"

"No, Cordelia, I was talking to Dawn. The girl you're currently sitting on top of?"

"Oh great, you've got yourself an invisible girl. Woohoo." Cordelia turned away from Willow and looked almost directly at Dawn, "What happened kid? Did the other slayers ignore you? Did you turn invisible because you felt invisible? Do you have any idea how old that is?"

"I'm not invisible. Willow? Tell her I'm not invisible. I'm not invisible am I Willow, please tell me I'm not."

"Don't worry Dawnie, you're not invisible. Cordelia just can't see you. But why can't she see you?"

"Who are you talking to Willow? Have you gone completely nutso? There's nobody there? Ow"

"Did you feel my fist there Cordy?" Dawn had summoned all of her bile into her comment, even though she had her suspicions that Cordelia wouldn't hear it. It felt good to vent it a bit.

"What's going on out here?" Giles was in the hallway staring at the debacle outside of the library. He was flanked by Buffy and the Immortal.

"Cordelia tripped over me, she says she can't see me. What does that mean Buffy?"

"Cordy. You really can't see Dawn? You can't see my little sister?"

"Are you as nuts as Willow, you don't have a sister."

**The realm of light.**

"So who are we gonna be meeting at this thing?" Gunn asked Wesley as they walked.

"I honestly don't have a clue. Someone contacted me, and said that something was wrong with the Powers, and that if we wanted to save the world, we had to meet with him."

"But we're dead right? So someone else should be taking care of this Earthside? Right?"

"I'm sure Angel is doing what he can, but even if he gets together with Buffy and her team, do you really think they can take on the army that the Powers seem to be amassing?"

"Point well made Wesley." Wesley spun. They had entered a small wooded oasis. It had sprung up with such speed, he had not even noticed it. Nor had he noticed the man waiting for them.

"Grandfather?" Wesley's tone was hushed and filled with shock and almost delight. "Grampa." Wesley shouted now as he ran towards the man, arms outstretched.

Caught in a sudden bear hug, Johnathan Whyndham Price bore up remarkably well, for someone who appeared to be older than life itself. "Come now Wesley, let Grampa go, I'm not as a-lively as I used to be." The old man started to giggle at his own joke. "Now we have much to discuss."

Wesley drew back from his grandfather, with still a look of dumbfounded awe in his eyes. "Uhm, erm," he stammered, for the first time in years, "these are my friends, Fred, and Gunn."

"So this is Fred, you are so much more lovely in the, if you'll pardon the expression, flesh. And Mr Gunn, you are almost as legendary here as my brave grandson here."

Gunn smiled as he saw Wesley's face turn crimson with embarrasment. Trying desperately to hide the red of his cheeks, Wesley turned away before he spoke. "Your message said that you had information that could save the world?"

"Yes, yes, down to business my boy. Your father tought you that lesson early didn't he. It's just as well that he's lost to us. I would draw my hand across his face for what he's done to you through the years. But enough about him. You, my boy, shouldn't be here!"

**The mortal plane**

"Burn the witches. Burn them all"

"That is not a good sound to be coming from the front lawn is it?" Buffy moved from the hallway to look out through the small windows at the side of the door. "Oh look, there's a mob out there, and they even have pitchforks and burning sticks. How quaint. Giles, have Hansel and Gretel reappeared and nobody thought to tell me?"

Giles, feeling rather flustered, removed and began cleaning his glasses, "No, definitely not, I think this is rather more likely to be an attack orchestrated by the Powers that Be. They seem to be aggrivating religious intolerance around the world, now they seem to have decided to attack us."

"Great. We're gonna be burned at the stake again Will." Buffy smiled at her friend.

"Yeah, like we didnt' have enough fun the last time it happened." Willow almost laughed at the memory, "just someone remind me, turning myself into a rat, not the best idea in the world."

Now Buffy and Willow did genuinely laugh out loud. Until the first flaming torch came smashing through the window above the door. "I hope they know, this means war." Buffy picked up the torch and opened the door. She hurled the torch back at the crowd. "Will?"

"On it." With a wave of Willows hands the flaming torch suddenly became an enormous blaze of multi-coloured flames, raining down upon the crowd. There were screams of panic, and several members of the crowd started to run. But the main core group stood their ground.

"Witches. For crimes against God, you will burn." They threw their burning torches on the ground, replacing them in their hands were guns of varying sizes, one man even held a flame thrower.

"Ooops." Buffy slammed the door. "Does anyone have a plan B?"

Unnoticed, Dawn had tilted her head to one side, as though listening to a whisper. "It's time honey. Do what you need to."

Under her breath Dawn replied to the voice, "OK mom." She strode purposefully to the door, edging Buffy out of the way. Dawn opened the door and stared at the assembled crowd. "Are you going to leave peacefully, or do you want me to make you go away?"

Buffy grabbed for Dawn's arm, "Close that door Dawnie." A gunshot rang out in the night, Buffy could hear it thud into the doorframe. She tried again to pull her sister back into the relative safety of the hallway. Dawn didn't budge.

"Don't say I didn't give you a chance now." Dawn shouted. There was a flash in her eyes as she spoke. Suddenly the crowd outside were enveloped in a blue energy, they milled around in confusion. "Bye now!" Dawn shouted, as the crowd vanished from sight, just as the blue glow did.

Dawn closed the door, and turned to look at the stunned faces of her Sister and her friends. "What? I am the Key you know."


	3. Chapter 3

Buffy: War with the Gods Part 3

The Light.

"Exactly what do you mean? Why shouldn't I be here?" Wesley's eyes widened at his Grandfathers pronouncement.

"I meant exactly what I said. You my lad, should not be dead. You are supposed to be on the mortal plane, continuing our heritage. Using your power to help the slayer through this whole debacle. It's time for us to stop simply watching her actions, and guide them." From anyone but his Grandfather, Wesley would have dismissed these comments as ridiculous, but the look in his Grandfather's eyes told him that this was serious, there was no sign of his Grandfathers previous flippancy. This was real, this was true.

"Your father was an idiot. He didn't tell you what you needed to know. He thought you were too weak to cope with the truth." The old man laughed, "if only he'd lived to see how you died. Or to be more exact, how you lived up to the point you died. I'm sure even he would have respected your actions."

"He would never have respected me. He told me as much when I last met him." Pure disdain poured from Wesley's lips as he spoke.

"Hey Wes, that wasn't really your pop remember, it was some robot thing. That you kicked the ass of, if memory serves." Gunn's hand on his shoulder and his words almost gave Wesley the reassurance he needed. He shook his friends hand loose and stood alone, mustering as much stoicism as he could manage.

"It was an android, yes, but it was programmed by my father, with my fathers memories and reactions. It was a simmulcrum. It was him in all but body." His lips shuddered as he spoke. Wesley felt as though the weight of the world were upon his shoulders, and he felt his strength ebb away, until another hand reached out and held him.

"You were, no, you are better than your father. You're stronger in spirit, in heart and in deed. I wouldn't have fallen in love with you otherwise Wesley." He turned to Fred, smiling through the tears rolling down his cheeks. He lifted her hand from his shoulder and kissed it gently.

"Thank you Winifred Birkle, you who are the light of my existence." Wesley kissed her gently on the lips before turning back to his Grandfather. "Alright, tell me everything."

The Mortal plane.

"Well, it all started about a week after the whole poltergeist incident at the house in Sunnydale. You know, when you and Willow told me about the First pretending to be dead people. Well, I started seeing mom." Dawn looked into her sister's eyes as she spoke, seeing the glimmer of saddness in Buffy's eyes, that mirrored her own. "She started telling me about my destiny. That I was still the key, and that I had power. I was so confused, I saw her every day, but I didn't know if she was the first or if she really was mom." Tears flowed down her face as she closed her eyes trying to fight the tears back. She felt a hand take hers and squeeze gently, she could feel her sister's spirit through the touch, giving her the strength to continue.

"She said that she'd been trying to help you as well, but that you refused to believe her. So she said she needed to focus on me. She told me that I still had the Key's powers. I could open portals to other places, other times even. I tried it, and it worked, but the power scared me, and... And..." Dawn looked from Buffy to Willow to Giles, seeing the same look of concern on their faces. "That's what really happened to Miss Kitty Fantastico." Dawn turned her eyes to the floor, unable to look up at her friends. "I was trying to keep a portal open for more than a second or two, to see what happened, and she, well, she jumped in. She must have seen the light from the portal and thought it was a new toy and she jumped at it." Dawn looked up at Willow, "Honestly, I tried to get her back, but back then, I couldn't be sure where the portals led to. I opened dozens of them trying to find her, but it just didn't work. I'm sorry Willow."

"Hey, these things happen. Ask your sister about some of my early attempts a magic if you want to hear about disasters." There was a faint smile on Willow's face, that almost covered the concern and, was that fear, in her eyes. "You're getting the hang of it now though? Right? I mean you didn't just send all of those people to a hell dimension did you?"

"No, I sent them to Wisconsin." From the other side of the room, she could hear Xander sniggering. It was infectious because soon Willow and even Buffy had started laughing too. "It's the only place on Earth I can open a portal to."

Through the sniggers Xander managed to say, "I'm sure a lot of them would rather have gone to a hell dimension."

"What's the difference exactly?" Buffy asked, trying desperately not to laugh.

Dawn finally cracked and giggled as she replied, "I don't think they have as many cows in a hell dimension." This drew an even louder laugh from everyone, even Giles tried to hide it by removing his glasses and polishing them frantically, but he was still grinning, he would never have been able to deny that.

Upstairs, in the room given to the War God Illyria, she paced, talking to herself. "How can they sit here, when there is war to be made? We should leave this place and take the war to those who started it, and..." She paused, and cocked her head to the left as though listening for a whisper on the wind. "It cannot be!" She stormed to the door and tore straight through it and headed in the direction of the front door. In the distance she could hear a knocking on the door. She sped up, she knew what she would find, but she didn't know what to expect.

In the Library, they also heard the door knock. "I'll get it." Buffy said, instantly back on edge. She practically leapt to the door, she could hear the grooup follow her from the Library. She paused, bracing hersself for whatever may be on the other side. She opened the door and her jaw fell, she had not been expecting this.

"Nooooooooooo!" The cry came from a blue figure that pushed Buffy out of the way. Illyria was suddenly at the open door, facing... Wesley. "Leave this place and that form, or I swear I will rip you from his body."

"I had no idea that you cared so much Illyria." Wesley replied. "Are you alright Buffy? I know she is quite strong, I hope she didn't injure you." Buffy, had backed away from the doorway, in shock at the arrival of the formerly dead watcher. "Don't everyone say hello at once, it's deafening." He edged past Illyria, amiling as he walked. "I hope the fact that I've just walked in uninvited proves that I am at least, not a vampire?"

"Yeah, but you're still dead? Right?" Xander asked.

"Well, technically, I suppose so, but no, not really. I've been sent back. Along with someone else, it took the collective powers of the entire watchers council, in fact 100 generations of them, to send the two of us back, because we're needed here. This apocalypse is not supposed to be happening now."

"No shit Sherlock!" Buffy turned to face Dawn, frowning. "Sorry, it seemed like the right thing to say." Dawn's eyes turned to the floor again, before something else struck her. "Who else did they send?"

The answer came from the Basement. The door to which opened and Kennedy staggered the last few steps. "Why did I wake up in the basement, chained to a wall no less?"

Buffy spun, an unusual panic gripped her, she couldn't be watching Wesley and the vampire previously known as Kennedy. A noise from above told her that she could though, as Buffy2, as Xander had taken to calling her, flew straight at Kennedy from her 'perch' atop the stairwell. "Vampire!" She cried as she flew. She landed on top of Kennedy, who struggled to dislodge the slayer. Buffy2 stopped though, and sniffed at Kennedy. Then immediately stood up, and backed away.

"She is not your weak lover." Illyria's voice cut through the impromptu silence in the hallway. "She is now amalgam. She is slayer, vampire and, witch."

Willow saw it. Her knees began to buckle. "Oh my Goddess." She fell, but Kennedy caught her. Moving with a combination of vampire and slayer speed. Willow looked into the eyes of her lover and gasped one word before fainting into the abyss of unconciousness.

"Tara?"


	4. Chapter 4

War with The Gods

The Light. 15 minutes ago.

"You my boy, are the last of the 'true watchers' and so you cannot remain dead."

"You're talking in riddles grandfather. 'True Watchers'? What is that supposed to mean?" Wesley looked perplexed as his Grandfather looked on reveling in his grandson's confusion.

"It means, boy, that our family line is intrinsically linked to the Slayer line. Two of our ancestors made the first slayer after all."

The Dark Place. Now.

"Aren't you, like, dead?" Buffy asked.

"I swear, I had nothing to do with this one!" Xander almost shouted.

"You're one to talk about unexpected ressurections Buffy." Wesley retorted, "I'm here because I'm needed here. Tara over there is needed here also, but her physical form has, well, it's seen better days. So we had to borrow the nearest available dead form. I've been sent back to guide you through this situation. Something is wrong in Heaven, and we have to stop it." Wesley looked from Buffy to the others staring open mouthed at him. All except for Willow and Buffy2, who were transfixed by Kennedy, or at least Tara in Kennedy's form.

"This is Kate Adie making a special report for the BBC world service. The United Nations have disbanded. The shock news is reverberating around the world. In the past few minutes, US President Bush has announced that the entire faith of Islam is heretical. He did not however use that phrase. Here is the recording of the press call, I must warn viewers of a sensitive dispossition, it does contain strong language."

The image of the young woman vanished, replaced by an image of the press room of the White House, President Bush was at the podium addressing the nation. "...and I say to the people of America, we must rise up and destroy these heathen scum, wherever they are hiding. Yes, they are among us. I found 2 of them working in this very building this afternoon, I immediately had them executed as enemies of the state. Their faith preaches the downfall of ours. They must be brought to book, and that book, is the bible ladies and Gentlemen. I have been ridiculed by saying that my actions were the will of God, in the past, but now more than ever, I am resolute in my actions, the darkness of Islam will be wiped from this planet as we await the rapture."

"The entire world is screwed." Spike said as he switched off the small tv in the hotel room. "We're not going to win this one you know? We're well and truly buggered." He turned to his silent companion, "literally too, I thought this was supposed to be a twin room?"

"I tried for a twin room, but they didn't have any left. It seems everyone is flooding here trying to find redemption before the end. Anyway, you can sleep on the floor." Angel smiled as he rolled onto his side on the large double bed. The smile vanished as he felt the sheets rustle and a form getting into the bed beside him.

"Bugger that, we can top and tail." Came Spike's voice from the bottom of the bed. "I have to warn you though, I've been told that I kick in my sleep."

"I can take care of that for you, I've got a stake under my pillow." Angel's smile returned as Spike fell into silence beside him. Outside in the sunshine, the little town of Lourdes bristled with activity. What Angel had said was true, pilgrims from all over Europe had descended on the town in recent days, looking for redemption, for cures, for any sign that their God had not forsaken them during this time of madness.

"I thought I smelled something familliar."

Faith Lehane spun 360 degrees trying to locate the source of the strangely familiar voice. "OK, where are you, and who are you? I won't hurt you."

"Well, going by past experience with you Faith, I doubt that. Even without my memory of our last meeting, the crossbow in your hands kind of destroys any credibility you might have had."

"Robin?" Faith shouted, "you'd better get back here, something's out here with us."

"Maybe you have changed Faith. The Faith I knew wouldn't have called for reinforcements. Of course, the Faith I knew didn't have any friends, or reinforcements to call on." The mocking tone of the voice angered Faith beyond the telling of it. She spun again, like a trapped animal. The campsite was small, insignificant in the grand scheme of things lodged as it was in the middle of the Amazonian jungle. High trees surrounded the site, for miles around all there was were trees. up until this moment, Faith had found it relaxing.

"What's wrong Faith?" Robin Wood came darting out from the trees to Faith's left. "What's the problem?"

"You're a human?" The voice again.

"Last time I checked, yeah." Robin replied, "what are you?"

"Usually taciturn, but I keep that to myself mostly."

Robin smiled at the joke. He knew from the confused look on Faith's face that she didn't know what taciturn meant. But he didn't want to take the time to explain it. "Look, we're trying to save the world here, whoever you are. You here to help or hinder that?"

"Help, as always." Came the voice from behind the tent. Faith circled the small fabric structure and confronted a...wolf. "Uhm, if you're on the side of the good guys again, would you mind pointing that thing somewhere that's not in my general direction please?" Hearing the words coming from the wolf, Faith realised what had been odd about the voice, the snarl to it, she had thought it had been threatening, but now she realised, it was just the way a wolf would talk. She mentally chided herself for thinking about talking wolves, even with one standing in front of her.

"Give me a minute and we can talk without me getting a sore throat." The wolf darted into the tent, a few moments later a figure emerged pulling on a pair of Robin's jeans. "Hi again."

"Oz?"

"It's OK sweetie, it's really me. I'm back, and this time I'm never leaving you." Tara cradled Willow in her arms as she wept. "I'll be with you forever, no matter what. You're my always." Willows tears intensified as she heard the words.

Across the room an arguement was raging. "Yeah, who died and made you God? Well except for you and me a couple of times." Buffy was right up to Wesley's face, anger flaring from an unknown source deep within her. An unnatural hatred for Wesley, she knew he was evil, she knew it in her heart and her soul. Her hand was around his throat before anyone knew what was happening, "Go back to whatever hell you sprung back out of." Her free hand clenched into a fist and was raised to strike Wesley, he struggled to speak, but could barely breathe under the pressure of the Slayer's grip.

"Stop." The word, spoken by Tara, an innocuous word. But it worked. Buffy found she could not bring her fist forward to connect with Wesley, no matter how hard she tried. "Release." At the word, Buffy's hand released the former watcher. All eyes in the room darted from Tara to Buffy to Wesley. "Now sit down Buffy, we need to get you calmed down."

"And deprogrammed" Wesley added through gulped intakes of breath.

"Deprogrammed?" Giles asked.

The Light. 20 Minutes ago.

"You and Ms McClay here are among the very few who are unnaffected by the conditioning that every new arrival undergoes here. You are very fortunate. Tara here is immune, due to her, recent adventure with Azazeal, you my boy, were protected by your birthright. Your true power. I can't believe that your father didn't tell you any of this. Well, I suppose I have to start from the very beginning."

Wesley's grandfather lowered himself gingerly to the ground. "You Wesley. Are the last in a long line of inheritors. You have inherited more power than you can imagine. You see, your great great many thousand generations removed uncles were among a select group. A group of men, who called themselves the Shadow men."

Jerusalem.

It came so suddenly, no one could see it before it fell. Everyone could hear it coming, but they couldn't see it, until it was too late to react. The missile landed in the centre of the ancient city, the nuclear detonation came less than a second later. Burning white light radiated from the flashpoint. Everything within a ten mile radius exploded in flames hotter than any recorded, flesh, stone, bone. All gone in an instant. At 20 miles, the concussion was lessened, and the heat diminished, but the death followed, as strong as ever. Radiation, permeating the skin of every living creature it encountered. Skin sizzled and melted, sloughing off bone like tenderised beef.

A second flash of light erupted above what was once Jerusalem. If anyone had been left alive they would have told you that this flash was even brighter than the first. This flash did not bring radiation, or a concussive blast. It brought forth an army.

The army of the Light had arrived. Millions of them swarmed through the portal, ready to do the bidding of the Powers that Be.


End file.
